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Arthur Adventure Series
El Cumpleanos de Arturo
Their friends must decide which party to attend when Fefa schedules her birthday party for the same day as Arturo's birthday party
Paperback
First published May 1, 1989
27 people are currently reading
474 people want to read
About the author
Marc Brown
551 books384 followersMarc Tolon Brown is perhaps best known for his series of children's books about Arthur the aardvark, which was turned into an animated television show on PBS. Brown is a three-time Emmy Award winner, for his role on the television show inspired by his books.
He lives on Martha's Vineyard and in New York City with his wife, Laurie Krasny Brown. He has three children, sons Tolon and Tucker, and daughter Eliza. The names of his two sons have been hidden in all of the Arthur books except for one: Arthur's Tooth.
He lives on Martha's Vineyard and in New York City with his wife, Laurie Krasny Brown. He has three children, sons Tolon and Tucker, and daughter Eliza. The names of his two sons have been hidden in all of the Arthur books except for one: Arthur's Tooth.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews
August 15, 2015
"How about me?" asked Binky Barnes.
"You're invited," said Arthur, "and Francine, too."
"Oh, boy," said Francine, "we can play spin the bottle!"
Sigh. Arthur is one of the rare, rare cases where I think the television show is 10x better than the original book series. I love the TV show - it's smart, funny, both children and the adults who spend time with them love it.
The books are a different story. The illustrations are ugly (yeah, I said it!), the text is extremely boring, and I didn't find these third-graders to be realistic. Wanting to play spin-the-bottle? In third grade?! I don't think so. Saying stuff like
"But it won't be much fun without the boys," said Francine.
And later
"What's a party without boys?"
I don't know, these kids didn't resemble any children I know. And the book was boring. Did I mention it was boring?
Tl;dr - Kids might express an interest in reading these books if they are familiar with the TV show. However, they might not find the books as stimulating and funny. Seriously, I can't believe I'm saying this, but the show is better.
Ages 3-7
Available in Spanish as El cumpleaños de Arturo.
"You're invited," said Arthur, "and Francine, too."
"Oh, boy," said Francine, "we can play spin the bottle!"
Sigh. Arthur is one of the rare, rare cases where I think the television show is 10x better than the original book series. I love the TV show - it's smart, funny, both children and the adults who spend time with them love it.
The books are a different story. The illustrations are ugly (yeah, I said it!), the text is extremely boring, and I didn't find these third-graders to be realistic. Wanting to play spin-the-bottle? In third grade?! I don't think so. Saying stuff like
"But it won't be much fun without the boys," said Francine.
And later
"What's a party without boys?"
I don't know, these kids didn't resemble any children I know. And the book was boring. Did I mention it was boring?
Tl;dr - Kids might express an interest in reading these books if they are familiar with the TV show. However, they might not find the books as stimulating and funny. Seriously, I can't believe I'm saying this, but the show is better.
Ages 3-7
Available in Spanish as El cumpleaños de Arturo.
March 16, 2011
I do not like this book. The second star is for fun characters, interesting drawings, and how much my son has come to like Arthur.
I do not like this book because the problem still remains unsolved! Unless all the kids are going to Muffy's after having cake with Arthur's family, then they've only succeeded in canceling Muffy's party, leaving her hired clown and rock band sitting around at her empty house, wondering why they are there. ("Arthur's Existential Dilemma")
[OK, on the third read, I noticed Francine told Muffy, "The rest of your party is on the way." For some reason, I had interpreted this as other friends, but I guess it means the band and the clown. I still find this book way more awkward than the few other Arthur/DW books I've been exposed to.]
I do not like this book because the problem still remains unsolved! Unless all the kids are going to Muffy's after having cake with Arthur's family, then they've only succeeded in canceling Muffy's party, leaving her hired clown and rock band sitting around at her empty house, wondering why they are there. ("Arthur's Existential Dilemma")
[OK, on the third read, I noticed Francine told Muffy, "The rest of your party is on the way." For some reason, I had interpreted this as other friends, but I guess it means the band and the clown. I still find this book way more awkward than the few other Arthur/DW books I've been exposed to.]
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 11, 2013
My daughter has developed an Arthur fixation, which is unfortunate, because I really don't like Brown's writing. I find his prose clunky. The stories themselves are choppy with awkward transitions between the pages (or none at all). While I appreciate the lessons he is trying to teach children, I find that the books get tiresome to read because the writing just isn't very good.
July 22, 2025
This book is about Arthur constructing an elaborate lie to get what he wants, and it's presented as a compromise that makes everybody happy.
Arthur and Muffy have scheduled birthday parties for the same day. Arthur can't move his, because he has relatives visiting from Ohio, and Muffy can't move hers because she's already booked a live band and a clown.
Arthur conspires with Francine to get everyone to come to his party. Francine fakes Muffy's handwriting on a bunch of letters telling people that she has moved her party to Arthur's house. Arthur tells Muffy to come over to his house to pick up her present. When she arrives, everyone jumps out and surprises her. Muffy is happy to receive a surprise joint birthday party at Arthur's house, even though she has a band and clown performing at her house.
Also, the author didn't seem to realize that people would be reading this book aloud to children. Without reading ahead, it's impossible to tell which character is saying any line of dialogue, which means that you can't do the voices.
Arthur and Muffy have scheduled birthday parties for the same day. Arthur can't move his, because he has relatives visiting from Ohio, and Muffy can't move hers because she's already booked a live band and a clown.
Arthur conspires with Francine to get everyone to come to his party. Francine fakes Muffy's handwriting on a bunch of letters telling people that she has moved her party to Arthur's house. Arthur tells Muffy to come over to his house to pick up her present. When she arrives, everyone jumps out and surprises her. Muffy is happy to receive a surprise joint birthday party at Arthur's house, even though she has a band and clown performing at her house.
Also, the author didn't seem to realize that people would be reading this book aloud to children. Without reading ahead, it's impossible to tell which character is saying any line of dialogue, which means that you can't do the voices.
Read
July 30, 2023Anyone else's soul damaged by this sweet book?
Then again, the Florida group that's trying to get it banned compares "public schools to 'Pol Pot’s Cambodia'."
Then again, the Florida group that's trying to get it banned compares "public schools to 'Pol Pot’s Cambodia'."
Read
March 20, 2017Yolanda Mason's Review!
I really liked this book-the illustration was good-content was good. It was a challenging book to make decisions, some decisions are more complex than others. The book is tailored for both girls and boys, easy to understand language, and also honors the traditional family-it also dealt with kindness- what we all need to show with friends. The children would respond well to this story-might open up their own life situations in how they have responded. i would emphasize that being kind and putting someone else's needs before your own, Arthur sowed love to Muffy and it ended very well.
I really liked this book-the illustration was good-content was good. It was a challenging book to make decisions, some decisions are more complex than others. The book is tailored for both girls and boys, easy to understand language, and also honors the traditional family-it also dealt with kindness- what we all need to show with friends. The children would respond well to this story-might open up their own life situations in how they have responded. i would emphasize that being kind and putting someone else's needs before your own, Arthur sowed love to Muffy and it ended very well.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 4, 2019
It's a bit difficult to approach this book as a mental blank slate after knowing about its surprises from having watched the television episode based on it, but anyway I look at it this is a very good book.
Marc Brown is at or near his best in the creation of this story, both in terms of writing ability and impressive illustrations. The plot is interesting and fun, and features almost all of the characters who aren't seen as often in the books, such as Fern. The inventive solution that Arthur comes up with to solve the problem presented by the scheduling conflict between his and Muffy's birthday parties is smart, and memorable for the reader.
Marc Brown is at or near his best in the creation of this story, both in terms of writing ability and impressive illustrations. The plot is interesting and fun, and features almost all of the characters who aren't seen as often in the books, such as Fern. The inventive solution that Arthur comes up with to solve the problem presented by the scheduling conflict between his and Muffy's birthday parties is smart, and memorable for the reader.
November 24, 2015
The Arthur Books are a good step up from the early readers. I don't love them, but the kids do. The characters in this one come up with a creative solution for including all friends at a birthday party. But, it also suggests that the kids play "spin the bottle" at the birthday party.
July 17, 2020
Not my favorite Arthur book. I don't like how he kidnaps Muffy's birthday party. And what about her rock band and clown that she had booked for months? And spin the bottle references luckily went over my kid's head.
May 23, 2019
This book--like all the Arthur books--is just wholesome and precious! I Had Both this Book and The Living Books CD-ROM. Buy it for your kid's birthday!
August 18, 2022
"I was shocked!"
I had heard of Arthur and seen characters from the stories in cartoon clips, so I was reading this (library) book to my niece and nephews; knowing very little about it except for the title.
The description on Amazon says "Arthur and Francine hatch a clever scheme to make sure Arthur and Muffy have the best birthdays yet!" Which sounds okay, but here's what happened: Arthur was upset that some of his friends wanted to go to Muffy's party (same day and time) instead of his. So, instead of talking to any adults, or even Muffy, Arthur and Francine collect Muffy's birthday invitations from friend's mailboxes, alter them, then put them back.
"Forgery!" I nearly shouted. Francine forged the invitations to say the birthday celebrations would be combined. "And Arthur is an accomplice!"
I was shocked! Forgery is a felony, (along with tampering with mail), and this is the wonderful plan???!!! I have to say I never fully recovered from the shock, and dismay, and indignation, that this was a children's book storyline! (Not to mention that it could have gone horribly wrong and ruined an innocent girl's birthday!)
So while I laugh as I recount the story, and my sister's kids stopped reading Arthur books--possibly because I went on and on about "Francine the Forger and Arthur the Accomplice"--I am still deeply disappointed in the author, Marc Brown, the publisher, Marc Brown Studios, and all involved, for choosing, yet again, to make very bad choices seem like a great idea, and the best birthday ever.
Shame on you, ladies and gentlemen. You passed up the chance to teach kids the best way to problem solve, told them crime has no victims and is the best ever, and taught everyone that communication between children and adults is unnecessary. Kids can obviously solve all problems by themselves.
True, this book is entertainment. But how many books have you read where kids really talked with adults (maybe even parents!) and tried to solve problems together? One? Maybe two? I doubt it. Parents are nearly always portrayed as too busy or uncaring. And the children who read those books, mostly grew up to be like that as adults, if not parents.
It seems apparent that the fruits of the entertainment don't fall too far from the tree.
1 Star
For using a well-loved series to indoctrinate kids against communication with adults, and against using logic and common sense to make choices.
#ArthursBirthday
#ArthurAdventureSeriesBook13
#MarcBrown #MarcBrownAuth
#MarcBrownStudios
#ChildrensFictionDiscouragingCommunicationWithAdults
#ChildrensBooksaboutForgery
#ChildrensBooksaboutMailTampering
#ChildrensBooksaboutBeinganAccomplice
#ChildrensNonReligiousBooks
#ChildrensBooksaboutBirthdays
#ChildrensLiteratureKindleStore
#Forgery
#MailTampering
#Accomplice
#FelonyCrimesandFelonies
#FederalCrimes
I had heard of Arthur and seen characters from the stories in cartoon clips, so I was reading this (library) book to my niece and nephews; knowing very little about it except for the title.
The description on Amazon says "Arthur and Francine hatch a clever scheme to make sure Arthur and Muffy have the best birthdays yet!" Which sounds okay, but here's what happened: Arthur was upset that some of his friends wanted to go to Muffy's party (same day and time) instead of his. So, instead of talking to any adults, or even Muffy, Arthur and Francine collect Muffy's birthday invitations from friend's mailboxes, alter them, then put them back.
"Forgery!" I nearly shouted. Francine forged the invitations to say the birthday celebrations would be combined. "And Arthur is an accomplice!"
I was shocked! Forgery is a felony, (along with tampering with mail), and this is the wonderful plan???!!! I have to say I never fully recovered from the shock, and dismay, and indignation, that this was a children's book storyline! (Not to mention that it could have gone horribly wrong and ruined an innocent girl's birthday!)
So while I laugh as I recount the story, and my sister's kids stopped reading Arthur books--possibly because I went on and on about "Francine the Forger and Arthur the Accomplice"--I am still deeply disappointed in the author, Marc Brown, the publisher, Marc Brown Studios, and all involved, for choosing, yet again, to make very bad choices seem like a great idea, and the best birthday ever.
Shame on you, ladies and gentlemen. You passed up the chance to teach kids the best way to problem solve, told them crime has no victims and is the best ever, and taught everyone that communication between children and adults is unnecessary. Kids can obviously solve all problems by themselves.
True, this book is entertainment. But how many books have you read where kids really talked with adults (maybe even parents!) and tried to solve problems together? One? Maybe two? I doubt it. Parents are nearly always portrayed as too busy or uncaring. And the children who read those books, mostly grew up to be like that as adults, if not parents.
It seems apparent that the fruits of the entertainment don't fall too far from the tree.
1 Star
For using a well-loved series to indoctrinate kids against communication with adults, and against using logic and common sense to make choices.
#ArthursBirthday
#ArthurAdventureSeriesBook13
#MarcBrown #MarcBrownAuth
#MarcBrownStudios
#ChildrensFictionDiscouragingCommunicationWithAdults
#ChildrensBooksaboutForgery
#ChildrensBooksaboutMailTampering
#ChildrensBooksaboutBeinganAccomplice
#ChildrensNonReligiousBooks
#ChildrensBooksaboutBirthdays
#ChildrensLiteratureKindleStore
#Forgery
#MailTampering
#Accomplice
#FelonyCrimesandFelonies
#FederalCrimes
August 2, 2021
Arthur and Muffy each plan a birthday party for the same day. Arthur and Francine come up with a clever way to include all the friends and the birthday celebrations in one.
It was just ok. I liked the problem solving aspect, but that was about it for me. My kids hate the illustrations because they don’t look like the show characters (and they are honestly a little creepy, but somewhat nostalgic for me). The spin the bottle and “boy crazy” remarks from Francine were a little much, but went over my kids (4&6) heads. I’m not sure how many kids in the target age group for these books will know what spin the bottle is these days, it feels a bit dated 30 years after publishing.
It was just ok. I liked the problem solving aspect, but that was about it for me. My kids hate the illustrations because they don’t look like the show characters (and they are honestly a little creepy, but somewhat nostalgic for me). The spin the bottle and “boy crazy” remarks from Francine were a little much, but went over my kids (4&6) heads. I’m not sure how many kids in the target age group for these books will know what spin the bottle is these days, it feels a bit dated 30 years after publishing.
February 27, 2019
This book was so cute. I would enjoy reading this to my students because in this book it shows kindness. Arthur and Muffy had the same birthday party on the same day, but Arthur decided to invite Muffy over at noon and throw her a surprise party so then nobody would have to choose who goes to what party. Since Arthur did it this year, It will be muffy's turn next year to have it at her house.
February 27, 2023
Arthur's Birthday was a cute story to read. Arthur and Muffy had their birthday parties on the same day and their friends had to decide what party they wanted to go to, until Arthur came up with an idea that they could go to both! I think this would be a great read for 3rd graders and they would love looking at the pictures.
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August 1, 2023I'm not the first and I'm sure I won't be the last, but I took a peek at this book just to see what a certain silly individual in my lovely state of Florida was getting so worked up over.
I can't say my "soul" has been "damaged" as a result of reading this book, but at least I had a good laugh about it.
I can't say my "soul" has been "damaged" as a result of reading this book, but at least I had a good laugh about it.
February 9, 2019
Uuuuh what?! There is a second subplot about these very young children playing spin the bottle?! Why?? I can not imagine a guardian reading this aloud to their child. Second star is for the dad's apron and the street name that Muffy lives on.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 7, 2020
I'm always a sucker for an Arthur book. This isn't my favorite Arthur story ever but it was cute, and I think it tries to teach a good lesson. But can we really talk about what's up with third grade Francine continually asking to play Spin-the-Bottle???
January 30, 2025
Arthur was excited about his upcoming birthday party, until he found out it was on the same day as Muffy’s birthday party. A conflict arose among his friends who had to decide which party to attend. Arthur came up with a clever compromise that made everyone happy.
July 24, 2018
It was okay. I've been reading and watching Arthur for years now as one child outgrows it another discovers it, and there are better stories in the series.
September 12, 2018
Arthur comes up with a creative way to solve a problem--two birthday parties at the same time.
December 3, 2018
12/2
Fiction
K-4th
I forgot how cute and funny the Arther books are! I enjoyed this so much and the silly story about his birthday party with his friends! I love the classic illustrations of Arther!
Fiction
K-4th
I forgot how cute and funny the Arther books are! I enjoyed this so much and the silly story about his birthday party with his friends! I love the classic illustrations of Arther!
June 10, 2020
Good, wholesome family and friendship and solutions.!
November 25, 2020
I'm sorry but fourth grade is too young to be playing spin the bottle. I dont care where you go to school but I firmly believe that fourth grade is WAY too young to be playing spin the bottle.
March 3, 2021
confusing. spin the bottle comments date it.
July 22, 2022
The boy-crazy Francine is a bit odd. Still love D.W.
August 26, 2023
Arthur’s father’s apron reads “Liberated Partner”. Sadly, this is perhaps the only positive about this book.
December 6, 2023
I know this episode by heart, and I'm glad to see it follows the book so closely. A classic Arthur story!
December 6, 2023
This is my favourite t.v. series, and the books are so great for kids. It was fun searching for the author's kids' names in the illustrations.
February 17, 2024
What a great book
March 21, 2024
3.75 ⭐️s. LOVED the illustrations but not a big fan of the storyline.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 94 reviews